Within industry, adhesive fastening elements are increasingly being used that hold components and functional parts. Such fastening elements consist for example of a T-shaped structure when looking at the cross-section of these fastening elements. This T-shaped structure comprises a plate-shaped fastening surface to which a bolt-like element with a variable design is fastened. This bolt-like element has for example a thread, a snap connection or any other structures. The plate-like element provides a fastening surface to which adhesive is or has been applied. In order to be held, this fastening surface is then placed on a component surface and is affixed by hardening the adhesive on the fastening surface.
DE 2 233 412 describes a manually actuated affixing device for mounting adhesive elements on component surfaces. The adhesive elements are fastened in a holder with an infrared light source as a heat source arranged behind it for hardening the adhesive on the adhesive element. After the device is arranged at a specific position on the component surface, the holder with the fastening element and the subsequent heat source is moved toward the component surface for mounting where the adhesive of the fastening element is hardened.
Robot-guided fastening devices or jointing heads are for example described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,853,075, EP 2 246 140, DE 10 2004 012 786 and DE 10 2009 057 332. The jointing head in U.S. Pat. No. 4,853,075 grips with its gripper fastening elements which are stored it an element strip. The robot connected to the jointing head and gripper moves to the individual positions on the component surface on which the fastening elements are to be arranged. The robot must be flawlessly controlled and moved to keep from damaging the component surface as well as the fastening element.
In EP 2 246 140, the jointing head attached to a robot is supplied the fastening elements from a reservoir via a supply hose. If different types of fastening elements are to be attached using the same jointing head, different supply hoses are connected to the jointing head. Supplying fastening elements by means of supply hoses impairs on the one hand the interference contour of the robot with the jointing head. In each fastening position to be assumed on the component surface, the supply hose may not be damaged or kinked for example by a vehicle body which would restrict the supply of fastening elements. In addition, to the complex equipment, this affects the controlling and monitoring of the method and lengthens the cycle time for mounting individual fastening elements.
In DE 10 2004 012 786 and DE 10 2009 057 332, the fastening elements are removed from a cartridge before they are mounted on the component surface. To remove a fastening element from the cartridge, the jointing head rotates about a rotary axis perpendicular to the jointing direction of the fastening elements on the component surface. After the fastening element is removed, the listening element is aligned in the jointing direction by the jointing head so that it can be subsequently affixed to the component surface. To mounting the fastening element on the component surface, the jointing head has a linear adjusting device that allows it to extend and shorten in the jointing direction. These different degrees of freedom in the movement of the jointing head require complex controls and process monitoring to affix the fastening elements.
In view of the prior art, it is the objective of the present invention to provide a more simply designed jointing head for affixing a fastening element on component surfaces that is easier to handle in its guided process. In addition, it is the objective of the present invention to supply a corresponding method to affix a fastening element on the component surface.